Veemeeswarar Temple, Serapanancheri

Veemeeswarar Temple is in Serapanancheri, a village near Padappai on the road from Tambaram to Walajabad. It dates from around 1180 CE, and its earliest inscription begins with the Chola king Kulothunga III. The god, Veemeeswarar, is believed to have originally been Vinmeeneswarar, lord of all 27 star constellations, and his consort Swarnambigai sits beside him inside the main sanctum.

Legend says Surya, the Sun God, worships Shiva here regularly, and he is shown standing behind the Nandi. Two Nandis serve the god here instead of the usual one. The outer parts of the building are partly ruined, but the sanctum and its images survive, and the lingam is larger than in many temples. Three sacred tanks, the Agni, Brahma and Vishnu Theerthams, surround the temple; they have dried up but may refill in the rains. Pradosham and Shivaratri are celebrated by local people.